Female
by Transformersfan123
Summary: She is the only one. Sure there are humans, but they aren't Stitchpunks. After years of hearing One's jabs on it, of the others not standing up with her, she nearly loses her mind...until she meets Nine. He treats her like a princess. He doesn't look down on her. She is happy for the first time. But she is still being rubbed raw. Oh well. It can't be that bad, right?
1. Only One Of You!

"How many times do I have to tell you that you cannot go out when it rains?!" One roared angrily.

"Shut your damned mouth!" Seven shrieked. "I can go out whenever the hell I want!"

"Get back here! You stupid, ridiculous, asinine, _female!_ Oh, I'm so very glad there's only one of you!"

That last one pierced her soul. She was soon out in the pouring rain, trudging sullenly to her destination. There was a grinding noise and she tensed, bringing her spear around. The Cat Beast trotted up to her. She hesitantly placed a hand on the front of the white bone.

"Take me home, Skull. Please?" she whispered.

Skull purred, which had been the grinding noise, and knelt down. She swung her leg over and settled on his neck. He looked back at her and tilted his head.

"Rodeo me."

Skull let out a piercing yowl and gave her a wild, harrowing ride. She laughed as she held on, twisting her body expertly. That cat hadn't thrown her in months, and this was just what she needed to forget One and her other companions. He calmed as he slipped into a hole cut into the side of a house before going up a flight of stairs. She dropped off him onto the floor, smiling when she heard water running.

After petting Skull gently and bidding him to go to dry off by the fire, Seven walked into the bathroom and climbed up to the sink. Nine was calmly washing his burlap out and the female smiled at the sight of her friend…her rather _naked_ fried. It always amused her to see her companion without his burlap, and she wasn't sure why. She eased down into the water. Nine looked up and frowned at the muddy state of his female soul mate.

 _~You are filthy.~_

"Yeah. I need a bath…Know anybody who will give me one?" she asked slyly.

Nine finished up washing his burlap then teleported it to dry in front of the fire in the parlor. He then turned his attention to Seven. He gestured for her to come closer. She took a small step forward, deciding to play coy. He smirked and gestured again. She took another small step. Again he gestured, again she took a small step forward. She was just out of reach. One more gesture, and she would be his, but she shook her head, feigning a yawn.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly! I'm just so very tired!"

Nine shook in laughter and lunged. She laughed herself and he chased her around the sink. She gasped when he caught her; it always surprised her, but it no longer scared her. Nine pressed a kiss to her cheek then examined his prize. From the waist down, she was covered in muck. He shook his head.

 _~You're a mess, Seven.~_ He said, smiling softly.

"I know," she muttered.

Nine's smile disappeared. _~One again?~_

"Yeah. He said…"

 _~Tell me, darling.~_ Nine cooed as he stripped her burlap off of her.

"Just look, Nine. I know you can," Seven muttered, hugging herself.

 _~You know how I feel about that, Seven.~_

"I don't see how it matters."

 _~I want to hear it from you. It's more personal than going to flip through the pages of the past. Do you not trust me?~_

"Nine, I can trust you with everything from my thoughts to my very soul." She nuzzled into him.

 _~Yet when I ask you to trust me with what you feel, you still act so shy, so hesitant. It's okay to cry Seven. You're allowed to hurt.~_

Seven felt her soul spasm in pain, and she jerked away from Nine. "No, I'm not! I have to be strong! I have to, Nine! I have to because…be-because…"

She trailed off and hugged herself. Nine tugged the shaking female toward himself.

 _~Because you're the only female.~_ He whispered softly then began to clean her gears. _~But that makes you so special, Seven. You're so sensitive.~_ He tickled her neck with a feather-light touch, making her shiver. _~You think of things that the others never would have on their own.~_ A vision appeared around them of her building the lift system that got them off the ground and up into the steeple. _~You are so very beautiful. Your smile lights up any room your in.~_

"I'm usually not in a room," Seven muttered, leaning back into his warm embrace.

 _~Then you make the flowers bloom, the rain dance, and the rainbows beam bright all at the same time.~_

Seven relaxed completely. "You know something? It's quite obvious that you're a writer."

 _~Thank you. Now, what did One say?~_

She cringed, shaking again. Her voice, when it came back, was a soft, grating whisper. "'You stupid, ridiculous, asinine, _female._ Oh, I'm so very glad there's only one of you….'"

 _~Oh, Seven…~_ Nine murmured, kissing her cheek. She turned and buried her face in his neck. _~It's okay to cry, dear one. It is. Relax. Let it out. You're still one of the strongest people I've ever seen.~_

Seven broke, sobbing softly. He stroked her spine and hushed her through their link, raining kisses on her face and head. She calmed after five minutes, relaxing into her best friend.

"Make me forget. Please?"

 _~Anything for my darling.~_

In a flash of green, they were standing beside the bed Nine had made in front of the fireplace. He traced her bare form with his optics. Though being 'naked' wasn't that big of a deal with Stitchpunks, it revealed how the Scientist had made them, so they were very pleased with it. They were proud of their bare forms, except for One and Two, who were very roughly designed. And Seven was no exception, but to hear that Nine thought she was beautiful, down to her most basic parts…It made her shy.

 _~So very beautiful…~_ He whispered softly. She blushed over the link.

"Nine…stop it…" she muttered.

 _~No. I will say it until you believe me, then I'll say it some more. You're absolutely gorgeous. You make the day brighter and the night more mysterious. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, human or Stitchpunk. Even the flower fields don't compare to the splendor that is Seven.~_

Seven purred in delight, something she rarely did because she thought it was weak. But she didn't have to prove her strength to Nine. He knew how strong she was. She always felt so safe and secure with her secret companion. He didn't insult her or say how stupid she was as a female. _Because_ she was female. He listened when she was upset, he didn't yell unless she was in danger (even then only mentally), and most of all, he loved her for who she was. He didn't demand that she conform to his standards. He was the complete opposite of One.

She cringed at the thought of her leader, and her enjoyment of what Nine was currently saying diminished. And it wasn't just One. The others never stood up for her. They never reassured her that she wasn't a monster for being herself. They never…cared. At least, that was how she felt. Not that she could tell them that. In front of them, she had to be tough and unmoved by anything, totally unfeeling or they would think she was weak and pathetic. But with Nine, she could be sweet and sensitive, she could feel safe and secure enough to share her feelings, even though he usually had to pry them out of her anyway. Oh, she knew Nine wasn't perfect, but she just felt so loved when he was with her. It made her feel warm tingles and butterflies, like the ones that fluttered above the rose bushes and blue bells that he'd planted. She suddenly yawned.

 _~My, my, my. Looks like you're tired out.~_

"Sorry…"

 _~Don't be, dear one. Just sleep. I'm rather tired myself. I rebuilt three houses today.~_

"Wow. You have to be exhausted. So let's sleep. Even if it isn't my bedtime yet."

Nine snickered and pulled the blankets up around them. He kissed Seven one more time then slowly relaxed and fell asleep. She sat up quietly to stare at him. She loved him. She really did. And there was nothing the others could do about it.


	2. Raw

"And where exactly have you been?" One growled when Seven came up from the secret passageway that everybody knew about; they pretended they didn't to appease One, but Seven had no such qualms.

"Out," Seven growled.

"For _four days?"_

"Has it been that long?" Seven asked, waving her hand dismissively. "It feels like mere hours. Being away from you does that."

One sputtered angrily, looking as if he wanted to slap her. She hoped he would. It would give her an excuse to tear him to pieces. He finally threw his hands up and stormed to his throne. She walked to her room, passing the twins on her way. They looked up briefly then did a double take before diving over to her, petting and cataloguing. She let them.

The twins weren't her knights in shining armor, but they were kind and gentle. She could soul bond with them by being the instigator. They always let her. But…she couldn't help imagining their hands as _they_ explored _her._ She was the only one, besides Nine of course, that they hadn't fully catalogued. They even had One and Eight! But Seven was felt to be off limits. They were the first she had met back when she was out in the wild.

Nine had shown her their thoughts, and it hurt. They had sensed something different about her, and had brought her to One and the others. Then all of them had stared at her like she'd had a second head. Back then she was too busy scanning for danger to notice. They hadn't found out for three days why she was so different.

 _"Seven said so himself!" One said emphatically._

 _Seven, who had been playing a game with the twins looked up and blinked. "Herself," she said blankly._

 _Every optic was on her. "What?" One asked, not sure he'd heard her right._

 _"You said himself. I'm a girl, which would be herself." This time she'd noticed their stares. "What?"_

 _"You're…a girl…?" Two asked in confusion._

 _"Yes. Maker said I was. He said I was the first, and probably the only, female." She blinked. "How could you not tell? I mean, my voice sounds like a girl…Doesn't it?"_

 _"I have personally never heard a girl speak," One said with a shrug. "I assumed they were all dead. The timbre of your voice is quite mellifluous, though. Very pleasing, if I do say so myself."_

After that, they had started treating her differently. They would stop playing games if she came by and would sit and smile at her. They would pet her and kiss her lightly. She wasn't sure if they had been treating her lightly so as not to break her or as an object to be prized and kept safe. Maybe it was a little of both. They always seemed to be looking her over. She had grown irritated quickly, and slowly her 'I must prove I am better than the boys' attitude was born.

The twins nuzzled into her, breaking her chain of thought.

"Good to see you two again. I'll be in my room if you need me."

She walked into her room and jumped onto the bed. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as the one Nine had, but it would do. She practiced her soul energy. The first trick her soul mate had taught her was turning into a human, which was complex and slightly to a lot painful during the tries. But she had requested it back when she had felt she needed to prove herself to Nine. How silly she'd been! But to her, it was a legitimate fear, and Nine had obliged her, understanding her needs even back then. Now she was learning smaller, easier things, like telekinesis and teleporting. Oh, she knew that she was only a beginner with those, and that they could grow rapidly in difficulty and energy drain, but she was careful.

Seven sighed as she heard Eight moaning in his little secret room across from hers. He was in there using his magnet. She wished for a magnet. It would take away the pain that she felt. She shivered as she thought about it. It wasn't really pain. She had shown Nine the feeling and he described it as rawness. Being rubbed raw. That's what was happening to her. He had warned her time and again to talk to the others about her insecurities, but she was scared. She didn't want to be treated as weak. Chivalry was one thing, Nine had proved that, but she feared the others would be overbearing. So she'd kept quiet. Nine's voice rang through her head.

 _~Seven, it will come out whether you like it or not. And if you aren't the one in control of it, you will_ not _like it. Trust me.~_

Seven lowered her arms and caught the thimble that she'd been levitating above her. "I know, Nine," she whispered softly to the memory. "But it can't be that bad, right?"


	3. Because I'm Female!

Seven struggled in Eight's grip as One stalked up. "I said, you're not going out right now."

"Let go of me, brainless!" Seven shrieked at Eight, completely ignoring One.

"Shut it!" Eight growled.

"No! Let me go!"

"Seven! Pay attention to me!" One shouted. When Seven refused, he said the thing that broke Seven entirely. "Females!" he spat. "Why are they so damned difficult!"

Seven's optics met his and he was about to smile in triumph when green energy sparked behind the glass. That usually only happened with Six. The others drew closer and Eight loosened his hold at a gesture from One.

"Seven?" he asked softly, reaching over to stroke her cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Okay?" she asked, her voice barely audible. "No, I'm not okay. I've never been okay, and I'll never be okay."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I'm female…"

"…What?" One was very, very confused.

Seven's face lost the blank, lost look and twisted in rage. " _Because I'm a fucking female!"_ she screamed, tearing out of Eight's grasp.

"Seven!" One gasped; even she didn't dare to use that word normally.

"What? Am I too forward? Too loud? Too stupid, dangerous, destructive, ignorant, stubborn, weak, pathetic, asinine, ridiculous, soft, _delicate?!_ "

"Seven, dear, please calm down!" Two said softly. "You're scaring us!"

"Oh, yes _you're_ allowed to be scared!" Seven snarled. "Because _you're_ a _male!"_

"What are you talking about?" Five asked. "You're allowed to be scared."

"No, I'm not! Because I'm _female!_ I have to be better and faster and stronger than all of you! I have to never feel, never think, never act like I'm different or you laugh and point and whisper amongst yourselves! You didn't even realize I was female until I told you! You will never _ever_ know what it is like to be the only one of your kind! Because you have seven others just like you! I'm sick and tired of being perfect just so you'll let me live with you! Why can't you stop hurting me?! Why can't you love me the way I am?! Why can't you treat me like Nine does?!"

 _"~Nine?!~"_ came seven very shocked voices.

"Yes! Nine! _He_ knew I was female! _He_ treats me like a princess! _He_ doesn't yell at me or threaten me or tear me apart because I get claustrophobic in tight spaces and _need to breathe_! He listens and loves me and…and—"

Seven's voice broke and she spun and ran away. They chased her. Eight snagged her ankle and she screamed as she fell.

"Skull! HELP ME!"

There was a roar and the Cat Beast was suddenly there, using his mouth to toss Eight away from Seven. The other Stitchpunks froze, watching in disbelief as the machine helped their companion onto his back before turning to growl at them.

"Seven! Please come back!" One begged.

"I'm never coming back!" she sobbed before the Cat Beast turned to sprint away. There was dead silence for several minutes after she'd gone. Two eventually grabbed One.

"I didn't know she was so bothered about being a female," he said softly.

"I didn't either. If I had, I wouldn't have made so many jabs about it," One muttered.

 _~She seems very insecure.~_ Three said.

 _~But she is normally so sure of herself.~_ Four argued.

"She exudes confidence that she doesn't possess, apparently," Five said with a nod.

One stared after where the Cat Beast had gone as the others talked about what had occurred.

"Eight?" he said softly.

All conversation stopped.

"Yeah, Boss?"

"How well can you track?"

"Um, Seven's taught me a little. But the Cat Beast likes jumping on rocks and porches. You gotta know how it moves. She knows that better than me."

"Alright. Six, when's the next rainstorm?"

Six relaxed and his optics flashed green. "In two days."

"We need to find them by then. Eight, start tracking."

Meanwhile, Seven fell to the floor and screamed. Nine was there in an instant. He seemed bewildered by just how intense her pain was. He shuttered his optics and concentrated. There was a ripple in their bodies and the next thing either of them knew, they were sitting on the floor, completely naked, as human beings.

Nine was thin and wiry, but had definite, lean muscles. His hair was golden brown, short in the back, and he had bangs that hung down nearly in front of his liquid gold eyes. Seven was just as thin, wiry, and muscular. She had red hair that stopped between her shoulders with no bangs, and eyes that nobody would mistake for human eyes, as they were very clearly burnt orange. Both of them were pale, with Nine's skin a shade darker than hers.

Nine stood and picked her up easily, carrying her into the bathroom. The thing she needed now was a long, hot soak in a bubble bath. He set her down on the toilet and she curled up, tears streaming down her face. He ran the water, adding a special kind of soap he'd made that smelled of flowers. Seven reached out for him when he turned around after the water was off. He picked her up, kissing her repeatedly as he lowered her down into the water. She shivered at the almost too-hot prickling sensation, but within a minute had relaxed into the water. Seven wiped her cheeks, leaning back. Nine made a soft, waterproof pillow and put it behind her head.

 _~Should I stay in here, or do you want to be alone?~_

"I…I need some time, Nine. Go write or read or something."

 _~Alright. Call me if you need anything. And Seven? I mean anything. An ear, a meal, a hug. Anything.~_

"Actually…I would like some food."

 _~What would you like?~_

"Um…if it's not too much trouble…pizza?"

 _~With cheese, only cheese, and as much cheese as possible?~_ Nine asked with a smile.

"Yes."

 _~Very well. I'll come to get you when it's ready if you're not down there by then.~_

She nodded and sank deeper into the bathtub, breathing in the scent of the flowers. It was peaceful, just what she needed to unwind. Nine came in an hour and a half later, and, thanks to his soul energy, the water was still the perfect temperature.

 _~Pizza's ready.~_

"Mm, perfect. I'm starved."

He helped her out of the bathtub, and she walked over to the showerhead and rinsed the bubbles off. Nine wrapped her in a towel, embracing her from behind to kiss her head gently. Seven smiled and sighed.

"Always the gentleman, Nine. What say we take a walk in an hour?"

 _~Sounds good. Now, let's eat while it's fresh.~_

Seven dropped the towel as they walked down to the kitchen. She had no compunctions about being naked in front of Nine, and he was still naked as well. There were no other humans to see them, just three, okay four, machines, who didn't give a damn about nakedness, and seven Stitchpunks, who were curious, but still didn't care in the way that humans did. Seven knew she would clothe herself if the Stitchpunks came in, which they might, because she didn't feel comfortable being vulnerable in front of them. But Nine, as usual, was different.

"Mm," she sighed as they bit into the hot pizza. The cheese was ooey gooey and the sauce was spiced just right. "This is delicious!"

 _~You are speaking with your mouth full again.~_ Nine said dryly.

 _~Sorry.~_ Seven said, her eyes smiling, though her mouth was indeed full.

 _~I will teach you one of these days.~_ He teased.

Seven swallowed and leaned over to swipe some sauce from the corner of Nine's mouth. She licked her finger clean and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Food always tastes better when it's been on you."

Nine shook in laughter, sticking his tongue out at her as well. They ate, and for twenty minutes, Seven forgot her embarrassment, her pain, her sorrow. Nine had made just enough, and he went to wash the dishes.

That was something Seven had never understood about him. He had incredible soul energy abilities. As long it wasn't alive, he could make anything out of dust, including food. He could teleport all around the city; she had been everywhere there was to go. He could lift whole buildings; she'd seen him do it. He could change their bodies into whatever he wanted; she had once spent all day trotting around as a Cat Beast. With all those amazing powers, and many more, plus a huge reservoir of energy that usually replenished with a good night's rest, she had thought he would use it to do all the little menial tasks, like washing the dishes. She decided to ask him.

He finished drying the pan then turned to smile at her. _~You aren't yet strong enough in soul energy, Seven. I used to do everything with it, but it just didn't feel right. I had so much free time that it was ridiculous. So, one day I decided that I would do the little things. I don't always do them. If I'm tired or stressed, I just use my soul energy. But I like to do the little things. It is nice to use my hands to do stuff. You'll understand once you're at that point. Until then, just know that I don't mind doing them. Okay?~_

"Okay." She paused. "Can we take that walk now?"

 _~Certainly. Where would you like to go?~_

"Flower fields. Definitely."

Nine took her hand, pulling Seven out the door as his power clothed them in their usual attire. She skipped, and he followed suit. They honestly didn't care how silly they looked. They got to the flower fields, going to the patch of green in the very center and sitting down across from each other. Nine took a deep breath.

 _~Now, tell me what happened.~_

She traced his chest as she quietly explained. He kissed her hair when she'd finished.

 _~I warned you, Seven.~_ He said gently.

"I know. I…I should have listened. But I was…scared. Now they hate me."

 _~None of them ever hated you, Seven. None of them. Not even One. There were just so many misunderstandings. I'm sure even now that they're looking for you, ready to talk about what you said. If they don't find us within a week, I'll teleport them to the house and we can resolve this. Okay?"_

"Thank you."

 _~You're welcome. Now, relax. Breath. I'm right here if you need me."_

Seven nodded and lay back, taking in the beautiful scent of the flowers and relaxing into a nap.


	4. Stars in the Sky

One was dejected. The rain was coming down and still they hadn't found her. The tracks were gone. They had slipped into a house through a hole and sat under the stairs. None of them were happy.

"One, we tried," Two finally said hesitantly. "So relax."

"It wasn't good enough. I can't see her through my visions, Two. I can't. There's some sort of block. What else are we supposed to do? We have no idea where she is, if she's safe. How am I supposed to relax when one of my little Stitchpunks is missing? And hurt, of course, because she didn't tell us that she was upset because of her sex."

They went silent again. After five minutes, a laugh that was familiar sent all of them scurrying to the hole. There were two humans, rolling around in the mud. One was male, the other was female, and they were soaked to the bone. The man wore a pair of breeches, the twins told them that was what they were properly called, while the female wore a broad piece of cloth that wrapped around her breasts, covering them completely, but baring her stomach. Her skirt was a piece of cloth wrapped around her hips with flaps of cloth that went down in the front and back. They wore nothing else, not even shoes.

The female shoved the male off of him, twisting to pin him. What they saw on her back made them freeze, realizing it _had_ been Seven's laugh they'd heard. There, emblazoned in glowing orange, like the coals of a fire, was a seven. The number went through her top and looked to be searing her skin, but she either didn't care or it didn't really hurt.

The man twisted her back down, pinning her with his body. He grinned and leaned down. Seven laughed, as if he'd said something, then arched up to kiss his nose. He allowed it for a few seconds then pulled back. There was suddenly an almighty _BOOM_ as a bolt of lightning struck a house just down the street. The man pulled Seven to her feet, quickly ushering her into the house. They were absolutely filthy, trailing mud on the floor. As he passed them, they saw a Nine blazing on his back in lovely, glowing golden embers.

They hurried upstairs. One immediately began to head for the steps. They all knew this would take forever, but they didn't care. They wanted their Seven back. Seven steps up, everybody but Eight was panting. Three more steps and they sat down hard, taking great, heaving breaths. There was a snort and Eight drew his knife, glaring at the machine that was watching them several steps up. One held out his hand, and the behemoth lowered the knife, but didn't sheathe it.

"You. What do you want?"

The cat stared at him, tilting his head. It came down one stair, paused, came down another. The knife came up again, but One kept his bodyguard from striking. The cat sat one step above them, looking down. It stepped down once again then knelt down. They paused.

"You will take us up to the second story?" One asked. The Cat Beast nodded.

"One, we can't trust it!" Eight gasped.

"Seven obviously trusts it. If she thinks this machine is safe, that's good enough for me. Now, get on its back."

They were all slow and hesitant, but they were soon seated on its back. The beast trotted up the stairs with ease and walked into the Awakening Room. He let them off then walked over to the desk, hopped into the chair, and lay down, staring at them with red optics.

They looked around, memories being restored by the familiar sight.

 _~It is not nearly as messy.~_ Four said with a nod.

 _~True, brother. Very true. The papers are all neatly away.~_

There was a laugh from a couple rooms away and the Stitchpunks hurried across the floor into what was clearly a bedroom. From the door they could see the two humans, now naked, standing under a flow of water. Nine was tickling her ribs. She was pretending to fight, but was laughing so hard that it was pointless.

"Nine!" Seven laughed, wriggling free from his grip. "Come on! We're clean enough."

Nine wagged a finger at her and chased her into the bedroom. She bounded across the bed, but he caught her in the middle, slamming her down. She gasped. One scrambled for the rope that hung beside the bedside table, worried that the brute was hurting his precious Seven. One was outraged to see them laughing over nothing when he had been so deathly worried about her.

"How dare you!" he growled.

They both jumped violently, turning to stare at him. Seven tugged at the blankets, her face red in humiliation. Nine phased the blanket over them then lay down in between her and One, using his body as an extra shield to keep her from feeling vulnerable about her nakedness.

One stood there with his arms crossed. "Let me get this straight. You let _him_ be in charge of you? I am your leader! That is _my_ job, first and foremost. Do you not love me?"

"That's not the reason I don't let you lead me," Seven muttered, crossing her arms on Nine's shoulder and laying her chin on them.

"Then what is it?" There was a long pause, during which Seven's orange eyes dashed over them, taking in how small they were. "Seven! Look at me while I'm talking to you!"

"Why? So you can bitch and moan about how I'm a terrible Stitchpunk?" Seven demanded. "All because I'm a damned _female."_

"I…Seven, I don't think any less of you for being a female. I just…When we fight, it just seems to be the easiest thing to use. I don't love you any less than I love our male companions. You just frustrate me more. And…you don't really think you're a terrible Stitchpunk, do you?"

Seven's gaze had been steady and stern up until he asked that question. Her eyes suddenly became insecure, and she hid her face in her arms. The Stitchpunks were shocked. The twins leaped over onto the bed and scurried up the blanket that covered her and Nine. They crawled over her arm and nuzzled her cheek. She looked up, and tears were sparkling in her eyes. They were so alarmed that they didn't know what to do. Four finally touched a droplet of water as it slid down her cheek.

 _~We love you, Seven.~_

"No you don't."

They blinked.

 _~Of course we do.~_ Three said, sounding offended.

"No you don't. You've never catalogued me. You've catalogued everybody else, but not me. You always make me start a soul bond. You never hold me when I'm upset. I have to be tough for you, _all of you_ , all the time because if I'm not, I'm not good enough."

"We never said that, Seven," Two said sternly as they lined themselves up on Nine's side.

"You never say a lot of things."

"What do you mean?"

"You never say things like, 'One, stop yelling at her. Maybe if you listened instead of yelled she would be more receptive to you'. Or 'She is not stupid, One, she is smart and knows what she's doing.' Or 'You're wrong, One. She matters'…I do, right?"

She was insecure again, more tears welling in her eyes. She looked away, ashamed. One touched her cheek.

"Seven, I mean it this time. Look at me." She shyly did so. "You matter more than all the stars in the sky, my dear. You matter so very, very much. You're special and sweet and lovely. I love you."

"You do?" Her cheeks were flushed with emotion and her eyes were desperate.

"I do. _We_ do. You're our special little girl."

Seven shivered and kissed One's stomach. He sat down hard.

"Seven…please come down to my level."

"Why don't you come up to ours?"

"I…I don't know how."

"Nine? Please? I need to know he loves me."

Nine flicked his fingers and all seven Stitchpunks levitated. He pushed them out over the floor, lined them up, spaced them out, then clenched his fist. They all screamed, convulsing violently. Seven watched quietly as they hit the floor as humans. They were completely naked, and when they tried to stand it looked like a baby giraffe taking its first steps.

Seven laughed. "Was I that bad, Nine?" she asked, standing up with him; they were both completely clothed already.

Nine nodded with a smile. He walked over to the nearest Stitchpunk-turned-human and caught him as he tripped and fell. Green sparks flew and both of them ended on the floor. One was there immediately, crashing into the pile in his haste to see if they were okay. More green sparks flew and visions swirled through the air for a brief eternity before everything settled. Nine jerked out of the pile as Two knelt down to help the others up, frazzled from the contact with others like him. He hurried out of the room, and down the stairs to make them their first meal.

 _'Something simple, yet delicious,'_ he thought. _'Wouldn't do to overload their taste buds like I did mine. Hm…I gave Seven steak, and that had too many seasonings. How about mashed potatoes with brown gravy, separate, plus some nice pudding for dessert? Yeah, that'll work. I need milk, and chocolate, 'cause I'll do chocolate and vanilla so they can taste the difference, and I can't forget the potatoes and…'_

Nine scurried around the kitchen, his movements twitchy. He was so distracted that he didn't notice the others standing there, staring at him.

 _~Seven? Is he okay?~_ Three asked.

Seven waited until Nine was away from the boiling pot of potatoes and the bubbling saucepan of gravy, and until he put the knife down before she approached him. She had been right to wait, as, at one tap, he jumped so violently that the milk bottle in his hands crashed to the floor and shattered, spewing milk everywhere. He stood there shaking, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Hey, it's okay, Nine. It's just me," Seven said. "Now, clean up the glass. Please."

He nodded and waved his hand. The entire bottle reformed into his hand and the kitchen floor was spotless. She moved forward and kissed his forehead.

"You okay?"

 _~Yes. No. Yes. No. I guess. Possibly. Yes.~_ He rattled off, his inner voice projected through her bond with the others.

"Um…That'd be a no," Five said softly.

"What's wrong?" One asked, taking a couple steps forward. He paused when Nine looked frightened. "Are you scared of me?"

 _~Not…Well…It's…~_ Nine was struggling to articulate his thoughts, which surprised Seven, so he broke off and went to pour milk into what was going to be the pudding.

"It's that thing, isn't it?" Seven asked. "Like when you first met me."

Nine nodded stiffly, not looking up.

"Thing? What thing?" One demanded.

"I…It has to do with too much. He can't really describe it any better."

"Do you hear the buzzing in light bulbs?"

Everybody turned to Six. "What?" Seven asked. "Light bulbs don't buzz."

 _~It's constant, filling my head. I prefer candles and fire, but I did invent a light bulb staff for when fire is not a feasible.~_

Six smiled as they stared at him. "Me, too. Fire's so comforting. The colors dance inside each other and the crackling of the wood and flickering of the flames are nice."

 _~Yeah. Do you rock?~_

"Yeah. The others used to ask about why I did it, but they're used to that by now."

 _~I never let Seven see me. I always wait 'til she's asleep.~_

"Rock?" Seven asked. "What?"

Six sat down in where he was and assumed a familiar position, wrapping his arms around his knees, burying his head in his arms, and rocking back and forth. Seven stared for a few seconds then turned to Nine. "You don't trust me with this?"

 _~You seemed confused to why I cover my ears at certain noises or why I need alone time to write. You don't get my music needs. I thought maybe you wouldn't understand that, either.~_

"I love you, Nine. I expect you to trust me."

He paused. _~I'm sorry, Seven. I really am. I thought you wouldn't understand.~_

"How would you know for sure?"

 _~I wouldn't.~_

"Exactly! Geez, you're stupid," she teased, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Now, what's for lunch?"

Nine told her as he drained the potatoes. She nodded thoughtfully when he finished.

"Simple. That's good. Too many flavors at once and you don't know what to think," she explained to the others. "I suggest having some of the potatoes first, then add some gravy if you want."

After adjusting the room and table sizes and adding chairs, Nine spread the plates out with a small portion of mashed potatoes in the center of each. A small bowl of gravy was set beside it. The pudding was still cooking on the stove. The Stitchpunks-turned-humans hesitantly sat down and poked the white pile.

"So…Mashed potatoes?" One asked suspiciously.

 _~Yes. It's very simple, yet the gravy will add some spice to it. The pudding will be a nice, gentle follow up.~_

"Why not make that pizza Seven was going on about?" Two asked.

 _~You're not ready for that kind of taste input yet. The sauce has several sharp spices in it, and some of the cheese is sharp, too. The texture would also throw you off. These are very smooth and creamy, with butter and salt. Okay? Taste them slowly.~_

Three, Four, Five, and Six were the most eager to taste. The twins were cataloguing everything from the color and temperature to the texture and taste. Five added some gravy and took his second bite. He nodded at Two.

"You should try this," he said after he'd swallowed. "The gravy is very good, too."

Soon they were all eating. It fascinated them. Seven and Nine ate quite a bit more than the others, but they didn't mind. Afterwards, the pudding was served in separate containers, chocolate was the favorite of Four, Five, Six, and Eight, but One, Two, and Three liked the vanilla better. Seven ate vanilla, but Nine, to everybody's surprise but Seven's, ate them swirled together. Nine stood when he was done and began gathering the dishes.

"I think you did good, Nine. They're not trying to rub their tongues on the table to get rid of the burn, so I'd call that a success," Seven said, stretching out. The twins dashed over to her and embraced her, kissing her cheeks. "Well, I missed you, too."

 _~Catalogue?~_ Three asked, obviously already doing so.

Seven shivered as Four kissed her cheek. "I…I don't know…"

They paused. _~We thought you wanted us to catalogue, Seven.~_ Four said.

Three nodded. _~Yes, you seemed awfully offended that we hadn't catalogued you fully.~_

"As a Stitchpunk. It's different when I'm human…"

"How is it different?" One asked, lounging back in his seat.

Seven blushed, shoving the twins away and walking over to help Nine. Nine glanced at her.

 _~You shouldn't be embarrassed about that.~_

 _~Well, if it isn't noticeable in Stitchpunk form, it is definitely noticeable in human form.~_

 _~Celebrate the differences, Seven. It's okay.~_

 _~But I'm the only one…~_

Nine paused, turning to kiss her. He smiled softly at her. _~Tell them tonight then. Get yourself ready for it. I'm sure all of them are going to look you over. There's no shame in being female, Seven. You're the most beautiful out of all of us.~_

Seven giggled and swatted him then turned to see everybody staring at her like she had a second head. She blushed again, deeper than before.

"He really brings out your soft side, doesn't he?" One asked, looking disappointed.

"Treat me right, and you will, too," Seven replied. "And…can we wait for tonight? I mean, we can all sorta…you know, look around…if you guys want."

They shrugged. Seven turned to rinse the dishes again. She couldn't help but notice that they had no problem with being naked. Seven, when she'd seen her differences from Nine, had grown shy. But, she thought bitterly, they were all male, so what would they care? They'd find out how different she was tonight. And it scared her.


	5. Seven's Mistake

They had looked her over curiously, but she didn't look at them. They were all male, like Nine, and she'd already exhausted her curiosity on him. She was uncomfortable and they weren't. It made a fire of jealousy burn in her heart. Why did Maker make her female? They all learned to love Nine, and life went on, but Seven still didn't feel as if she fit in. Then…some humans came to town.

She watched them. They seemed kind enough. And when she let herself be caught, the leader was charming. Two days after they got there, they were preparing to leave.

"And it would make us very happy if you came with us."

Seven considered this for only a few seconds then nodded. "I'd be delighted."

The others were looking for her the morning after she didn't come home. Nine realized that she wasn't anywhere first. When he did, he stopped looking around, and started looking back. He found her and followed her journey. Then he got pissed.

He called Fang, a great mechanical wolf, then BRAIN, who appeared as a glowing, fully red-eyed human. After stretching Fang into a horse, he put flesh on him. Then he cloned him, one for each of them. Nine then called the others.

 _~Get on.~_

"Nine, we're looking for Seven," Two argued.

"Nine found her. She is in trouble," BRAIN said, recognizing Nine didn't want to speak because of his intense agitation.

"Who are you?"

"A friend. I created the machines. Nine gave me a piece of his soul, so I am good now. But we have no time to speak of such things. Seven is using her soul energy to resist their advances, but she is not as strong as Nine. She cannot sleep, for fear of what they will do to her. She is tiring."

"Advances?" One growled in a dangerous tone.

"They wish her to have children, to put it kindly. Preferably male children. Because males are better than females, in their opinion. Now, get on and hold on."

They didn't need to hear a single thing more. They mounted and the lead Fang took off, much faster than a normal horse. They rode through the night and found them around noon the next day. One flung himself off the horse, red eyes gleaming with anger. The men had guns pointed at them, but they weren't afraid. Not with Nine there.

"Where is she?" One asked coldly. "Where is my Seven?"

"She is no longer yours," the lead man said.

 _~His name is Andrew.~_ Nine said.

"Don't lie to us, Andrew. We really can't stand it."

The man was surprised. "That bitch said she didn't mention us to you."

"She didn't. That's why we're here so late. We only found out about it after she left. Now, give us our Seven."

The Stitchpunk-turned-humans noticed that the humans were looking disturbed.

 _~Nine?~_ One asked, wanting more.

 _~Ask him about his dead sister, Lucille.~_

"So, how exactly did Lucille die?" One asked casually.

"I…That's none of your business!"

 _~She was raped to death by his best friend Paul.~_

"Ah, yes, I remember now. Raped. To death. By your best friend. Paul, was it?"

Nobody looked calm anymore, and they were whispering now.

"And now you wish to do the same for Seven," Two said thoughtfully. "To satisfy some deep urge inside of you that you get back at him. Problem is, he would probably join you in the rape. 'Isn't it fun!' he would say, 'Just like your sister.' Am I getting close here?'

Andrew was pale now. He lowered the gun. "Fine, take the bitch. We can't touch her anyway. I don't know why."

One and Nine were led to her, and One stood glaring at the men as Nine helped their precious Seven up. She looked exhausted.

 _~Let's get you home.~_

 _~I'm sorry, Nine. One. Forgive me.~_

 _~Hush.~_ One scolded. _~We'll talk about it later.~_

There was a cocking sound and One shoved Seven and Nine just as the gun went off. One cried out at the intense burn that shot through his shoulder. He dropped, both his staff and himself. Two and Five raced over.

"One!" The gun cocked again, and Nine stood up, hellfire in his golden eyes. Then gun went off and his hand shot up. There was silence as Andrew frowned.

"That was a direct hit!"

Nine held the bullet up between his thumb and forefinger. The men looked terrified, backing up.

 _~BRAIN. Fang. Now.~_

The horses shed their flesh and shrank to Fang. Nine of them. They barked and circled the ground, growling angrily. The men were shaking now. There was nowhere to go. Nine strode up to Andrew, taking the gun and effortlessly snapping it in half.

BRAIN walked up and acted as his translator. "You will regret that, Andrew Comstin. Now don't move, no matter how much it hurts. If it disconnects…yes, you will die, which is a nice thought actually. Fun to entertain."

Nine paced his palm onto the center of of the man's chest. He pulled back slowly and the Stitchpunks watched in shock as a green orb floated out. Andrew looked terrified as Nine stared at it. He was about to touch it when a voice called out.

"No! You can't kill him! You can't take his soul!"

Nine looked to see a man, wisdom in his youthful eyes. He pulled back for a second, doing a brief cursory look over his past. Some of his life was blocked, but Nine saw that he knew sign language. He raised his hands.

 _"I wasn't going to take his soul, Timothy."_

"Well then what were you going to do?"

 _"Make sure that he won't try to rape women again. I can do something to his soul that will cause physical pain when he attempts it."_

"Is that right though?"

 _"Seems right to me. He tried to rape our female companion, and has led the rape of thirteen others. What say you to that?"_

"It still isn't right. Not the soul."

 _"Where did you learn this?"_

"An old friend taught me. He taught me how to remove them, but also told me not to abuse the power. Like you are."

Nine looked thoughtful before shaking in laughter. _"How about this? You watch over him and the other men in this group, and I won't maim them for life."_

"That sounds agreeable."

Nine jerked his hands and fourteen green lines came to him, one from each of the offenders. He placed Andrew's soul back, but kept the line, and led them over to Timothy.

 _~One, he needs a blessing.~_

One gritted his teeth and walked over. The blood flow had been staunched by Five, who had always wanted a chance to apply the knowledge he had learned in the medical books that he'd read, and this was perfect. One swallowed then stood tall as Nine handed the young man the lines.

"You are young, but wiser than your elders, my good fellow. Do you accept the heavy, yet rewarding, burden of leadership?"

"I…I do."

"Then you have my blessing. Do what you think is wise, but remember that nobody is perfect. If you make a mistake, admit it, apologize for it, and go on with life. I wish you the best. Now, we must leave.

The Stitchpunks-turned-human gathered with BRAIN and all the Fangs. Nine waved his hand and the clones snapped into just one, the original, who stood slightly in front, red optics glowing in warning. Nine pulled everybody in tight then waved at Timothy and, with a _pop_ and a flash of green light, they disappeared. Timothy smiled.

"What are you so cheery about, oh great leader?" Andrew demanded.

"They had numbers on their backs. I do believe I know where we're going to go. First thing tomorrow, we leave. For now, we relax."


	6. You Don't Realize

Seven was put to bed, Nine beside her. He had warped ten people, plus Fang, all the way back home. He passed out. Five was left with no other option but to do surgery. He knew it would hurt him…or would it?

"Nine keeps a powerful anesthetic over there," Seven said tiredly. "Take the needle and stick it through the lid. Fill the needle to the fifth line. Carefully insert the needle in flesh around affected area and gently push down on the plunger. Carefully remove. Wait ten minutes. Patient should be asleep. Operate."

"Did Nine say that?" Five asked.

"Yes. Sleep?"

"Yes, go on to sleep."

"Don't break the needle off in his arm, Five…"

Five did exactly as Seven had said, and, just as she said, One was out like a snuffed candle. Five swallowed nervously as he took the scalpel that he had found with the needle. Two touched him reassuringly.

"You know more than I about human medicine. I know you'll do it right."

"I need you to thread that needle over there. By the anesthetic. Use the thick thread."

Two obeyed as Five gingerly sliced his leader open. Within ten minutes, the bullet was out. Five stitched him up, knotted the thread, snipped it, then stood back.

"We need to clean the blood up," Five said, looking at his hands. They did so. "Good. Now, I think I need a shower."

"Go on. I'll put the others to bed," Two said.

Five relaxed in the hot water, his mind going over what he'd done. He had performed a surgery that not even Two could have. He had finally seen blood and bone up close. And it made him grin in glee. Oh! He had found his calling, there was no doubt about that. He now knew why fixing Stitchpunks made his mentor so giddy. The curtain pulled back to reveal Two, who adjusted his glasses.

"Doing okay?"

"You specialize in Stitchpunks. I'll specialize in humans, yes?"

"Well, since I taught you so much about Stitchpunks, you must teach me of humans. Sound good?"

"I will gladly do that."

"Let's get to bed."

The water was turned off, and Five grabbed a towel, drying himself. He looked down at his clothes, which were bloody.

"I don't mind it, Five. Come along."

They all slept the rest of the afternoon and through the night before they got up, refreshed. Only…Nine didn't get up. They were worried until Seven got out of the shower to find them all staring at him. She finished toweling off, tossing her towel on a table, and walked over.

"Do you like the way he looks or something?"

"It's morning. He should be getting up," One said, holding his shoulder. "Two shook him, and he's not getting up."

"That 'It's morning' stuff doesn't always work with Nine. Usually he's an early riser, but when he overexerts himself, soul energy-wise, he needs a ton of rest. And when he gets up, he'll need a ton of food. He should wake up for food tonight. We need to have it ready."

"But I don't know how to cook," One said. "None of us do."

"I do. Nothing fancy, like Nine, but I can make fried chicken, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn on the cob. That always cheers Nine up. For now, how about pancakes?"

Their stomachs growled. "Yes."

"One, you are not getting up," Five said fiercely. "Blood loss. You might collapse. We'll put you in bed with Nine, but that's the end of it."

One's hands were trembling, so he conceded to be in bed with Nine. One held him close. To his surprise, Nine turned over and cuddled close. It jolted One's shoulder, tears pooling in his red eyes, but the fact that Nine, who had had very little physical contact with him, was pressing close. One pressed back, smiling softly. He sang a song or two, Nine actually opening one eye briefly to look at him with a small smile on his face.

Just as Seven had been correct about the anesthetic, she had timed supper nearly perfectly with Nine getting up. He bathed, and got out just in time to be helped downstairs. When he slipped and fell down a few stairs on his first step, Eight simply picked him up and carried him down, saving Nine several other falls. He was set in his chair, and he smiled at what was offered.

 _~Father's favorite.~_

"It's filling, and it's one of the only things I know how to properly make," Seven replied. "Now, eat up."

They did, greatly enjoying the food. When they were full, they went back upstairs, Eight making two trips, the first for One, the second for Nine. They sat in the parlor, talking lightly. At least they were until One sat up straight.

"Seven."

She flinched. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I don't care. You owe us after that."

"Oh, because you got shot?"

"No. I would take a thousand bullets for any of you. You scared us all half to death. Do you know how terrible it is when you hear that a human is making unwanted 'advances' on your little girl, who is running out of soul energy to keep them away? I was terrified, Seven. I want an explanation."

Seven was going to say no. But then she saw the droplets of water on his cheeks glittering in the firelight. She silently went to sit at his feet. One said nothing. The position conveyed his authority, and communicated her youth compared to him. It also meant she was admitting her mistake. She sat there silently for a minute then pressed her face in his lap.

"Talk to me, Seven dear. I'm here for you," One said after a few more minutes passed in silence.

"I'm alone."

"I just said I'm right here."

"No. I'm the only female. I've never met another female. No human females come through town. I'm…alone."

"Nine? Is that true?"

 _~No. There are no females for at least a hundred miles around here. The machines hit here the hardest, and there was no time to hide the females. The other side of the country has more, and other countries have females, too. She is not, alone, One. They're just far away.~_

"See? You're not alone."

"But they're not Stitchpunks."

That shut them up. There was no denying that. One took a deep breath.

"You are afraid we're judging you, yes or no?"

"Um…"

"Come now, Seven, be honest."

"Yes," she said reluctantly.

"Because you are the sole female."

"Yes."

"And that bothers you."

"Yes."

"And you don't realize that we love you."

"Um…"

One wasn't finished. "You don't realize that you being female is so very unique, so very lovely that we're fascinated by you."

"Well, I…"

"You don't realize that we want you to act like yourself, whether it be tougher than nails or sweet and sensitive."

"I just…"

"You don't realize how special it is to be female. You don't realize that we get the honor of protecting you, of providing for you, of keeping you whole and healthy. You don't realize that we get joy from seeing you happy and safe, feeling loved and complete. You don't realize how we feel when we see a beautiful creature that is all ours, not sexually, as is with humans, but with our souls. You don't realize any of that, isn't that right?"

Seven was staring at him then looked from face to face as they smiled and nodded. She finally burst into tears as One drew her up to sit beside her. He kissed her gently, holding her as best he could. She was very still afterwards, breathing evenly.

"Um…I want…" she finally muttered.

"What? What do you want, Seven?"

"S-soul bond?"

"Certainly. Gather 'round."

Everybody did. Everybody, that is, except…

"Nine, come here."

He shook his head shyly. One frowned.

"We are a family. You will join us. This isn't negotiable. Sit here, on the other side of me. Now, Nine."

Nine obeyed. The others pulled their souls out, and he was the last one. Seven leaned across her leader and touched him.

"Please?"

"This is for Seven, Nine. This is not for you. We will do that later," One said, red eyes boring into said being.

Nine relaxed a little, nodding. He pulled out his soul. His extremely dark green soul. They didn't comment, instead pressing them together. Instant bliss. Seven crawled in the middle underneath the souls, taking in their true feelings, what they really thought of her. Besides Nine, they wanted her to relax. To be herself. To let them in. For the first time in her life, she felt like she could do that. She smiled.

 _~Thank you.~_


End file.
